science news 21.6.2019

Today's selection of science news. Links are normally to press releases on EurekAlert (at the bottom end I may also add a couple of newspaper stories). I include quotes from the summary (using quotation marks) in cases where the title alone doesn't reveal what the story is about. My own thoughts appear without quotation marks, if I have any.



evolution

Danish researchers confirm that narwhals and belugas can interbreed


ecology

Spiders risk everything for love
"A biology study finds that blue jays can easily spot wolf spiders engaged in their courtship rituals. The results demonstrate the powerful influence of sexual selection."


Why climate change means a rethink of coffee and cocoa production systems
See also my 2014 feature on the impact of climate change on coffee and cocoa plantations.



Coffee and cocoa are both traditionally grown under tree shade in order to reduce heat stress and conserve soil.
Credit: Bioversity International/K.DeSousa
Usage Restrictions: This photo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.



light and life

Research details response of sagebrush to 2017 solar eclipse
"The short period of darkness caused a significant reduction in photosynthesis and transpiration in the desert shrub, but not quite to the levels of nighttime, according to some of the most detailed research on plant response to solar eclipses ever reported."